BOULDER — If Mike MacIntyre is looking for little steps in returning Colorado to respectability, he found some Saturday. Unfortunately, second-ranked Oregon doesn't take little steps. It stomps and kicks and sprints to numbers as gaudy as its uniforms and facilities.

The Buffaloes fell in line with the Ducks' other bludgeoned victims this season, getting blasted 57-16 at Folsom Field. Colorado showed some moxie, pulling out tricks from a bag frustrated Buffs didn't know existed the last few years.

But eventually, the onside kick to open the game, the bomb to Paul Richardson on the first play and Richardson's 75-yard pass for Colorado's first touchdown eventually got overrun by the Ducks' pinball machine of an offense.

Oregon RB Thomas Tyner controls the ball against University of Colorado defense in the 2nd quarter at Folsom Field. More photos. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

The nation's second-highest-scoring team rolled up 755 yards, the second-most in Oregon history and second-most given up in Colorado history. Sophomore Marcus Mariota solidified his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a personal-best seven TDs: five passing and two running.

Oregon's speed, which comes at opponents like NASCAR on grass, is pretty obvious. The Buffaloes (2-2, 0-2 Pac-12), 39½-point underdogs, couldn't compete man for man, so they used their No. 1 man.

The onside kick didn't work. However, Connor Wood's 55-yard pass to Richardson set up a field goal that put Oregon (5-0, 2-0) behind for the second time all season. When Richardson took an end around and threw a strike to D.D. Goodson, who outran the world on a 75-yard TD for a 10-8 lead, Oregon trailed for the third time all season.

"We talked about 'don't stick your toe in the water,' " MacIntyre said. "You know the pool sometimes is cold? You're, 'Oh, I don't know if I want to get in'? You can't do that with Oregon.

"We dived right in the pool. And we started swimming."

However, these guys may be Ducks, but they play like sharks. Mariota was simply magnificent. When he wasn't throwing a 75-yard touchdown to Bralon Addison for a 22-10 lead in the first quarter, he was using sleight of hand a magician would envy to waltz in untouched for two touchdowns.

Oregon is the biggest slaughterhouse since the Chicago stockyards. Since the start of last year, Mariota has appeared in the fourth quarter in only four games. By the time he finished 16-of-27 for 355 yards and five touchdowns, he was on the relaxing on the bench with 6:50 left in the third quarter.

Of Oregon's eight TD drives, only two lasted two minutes.

"At first we were doing pretty well," said Colorado linebacker Addison Gillam, the Pac-12's leading tackler, who added 15 to his total. "Then as the game got on and they got faster, we still did pretty good, but there were little things they kept noticing and capitalized on."

Colorado's offense improved from its moribund performance at Oregon State the week before. The Buffs had 318 yards by halftime before Oregon stiffened and Richardson, the nation's leader in receiving yards per game, had 134 more on five catches.

But the Buffs were awful on third down. They went a school-record zip-for-15. Wood was 0-for-11 with an interception on his way to 11-of-33 for 205 yards and two picks.

"We had a few problems on third down," MacIntyre said. "They caused a few of them. We missed a few. We dropped a couple."

After taking a 22-10 lead on Marcus Mariota's 75-yard bomb to Bralon Addison, cornerback Terrance Mitchell stepped in front of Paul Richardson and intercepted a quick out pass at the Buffaloes' 26. Two plays later, Mariota found Keanon Lowe on a 17-yard TD for a commanding 29-10 advantage in the first quarter.

Key stat

Oregon, third nationally in total offense, had 415 yards — in the first half. It led to a 43-16 halftime lead.

John Henderson, The Denver Post

755

Total yards for Oregon on Saturday against Colorado. The Buffs added 374 total yards for a combined 1,129. The Ducks had 262 yards in the first quarter and scored 29 points; CU had 231 yards and 10 points. Oregon finished with 415 yards in the first half, while CU had 318. The Buffs, however, were limited to 56 yards and no points in the second half.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

PARIS (AP) — Bye, New York! Ciao, Milan! Bonjour, Paris! The world's largest traveling circus of fashion editors, models, buyers and journalists has descended on the French capital, clutching their metro maps and city guides, to cap the ready-to-wear fashion season. Full Story